Socio-cultural impacts of tourism

SOCIO-CULTURAL
Introduction
IMPACTStoOF Tourism
TOURISM
and Hospitality Studies:
SOCIO-CULTURAL
IMPACTS OF TOURISM

, SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACTS OF TOURISM
INTRODUCTION
• The socio-cultural impacts of tourism described here
are the effects on host communities of direct and
indirect relations with tourists, and of interaction with
the tourism industry.
• For a variety of reasons, host communities often are
the weaker party in interactions with their guests and
service providers, leveraging any influence they might
have.
• These influences are not always apparent, as they are
difficult to measure, depend on value judgments and
are often indirect or hard to identify. 2

, SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACTS OF TOURISM
INTRODUCTION
• Impacts arise when tourism brings changes in value
systems / behaviour, threatening indigenous identity.
• Changes often occur in community structure, family
relationships, collective traditional life styles,
ceremonies and morality.
• But tourism can also generate positive impacts as it
can serve as a supportive force for peace, foster pride
in cultural traditions and help avoid urban relocation
by creating local jobs.
• Socio-cultural impacts are ambiguous: the same
objectively described impacts are seen as beneficial
by some groups and as negative by others.
3